THE REALITIES ABOUT POULTRY The Modern Farm - The Realities About Poultry_Seco | Page 83

as a result, so are their nutrient requirements. Consequently, breeders of commercial poultry
provide information on the specific nutrient requirements for the birds they sell.
 Age: Nutrient requirements are related to both body weight and the stage of maturity.
 Sex: Prior to sexual maturity the sexes have only small differences in their nutrient requirements
and males and females can usually be fed the same compromise diet to achieve acceptable growth
rates. Differences in nutrient requirements are larger following the onset of sexual maturity and
significantly different diet formulations are then required for each sex.

Reproductive state: The level of egg production in hens and sexual activity in males will affect
nutrient requirements.

Ambient temperature: Poultry have increased energy requirements to maintain normal body
temperature in cold ambient temperatures and the opposite in hot ambient temperatures. Food
digestion processes produce body heat, the amount of which will vary according to the nutrient
composition of the diet. This is called the heat increment of the diet. In cold temperatures it
may be desirable to formulate a diet with a higher heat increment and the opposite in hot
temperatures.

Housing system: The type of housing system will influence the level of activity of the birds and
therefore their energy requirements.

Health status: Birds experiencing a disease challenge may benefit from an increase in the intake
of some nutrients, most commonly vitamins.

Production aims: The optimal nutrient composition of the diet will vary according to
production aims, such as optimizing weight gain or carcass composition, egg numbers or egg
size. Poultry that are raised for breeding purposes may need to have their energy intake restricted
to ensure that they do not become obese.
A Ration (or Feed)
What is a ration?
A ration is the amount of feed that is fed to birds during a 24-hour period.
Factors to be considered in making a good feed
Factors to be considered in making good feed are:
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